One day last week I spent 10 hours at Redding Fire Station No. 5 on Hartnell Avenue with Fire Capt. Michael Blair, engineer Craig Martin and firefighter Steve Tenorio.
Driving over there in the rain on Wednesday morning I thought of the unhappy circumstances of an earlier visit to a Redding firehouse, more than 50 years ago. A neighbor kid and I — "playing with matches," what a cliché — started a small grass fire behind his house. To this day I remember the helpless, sinking feeling of seeing the flames get away from us.
I high-tailed to the fire alarm on the utility pole next to the highway and then burst into my home crying, "I started a fire!"
The fire was quickly put out, thank goodness. It earned me a stern lecture from the fire chief downtown and a good licking from one or both parents at home. School was about to let out but I was grounded for the entire summer. Just punishment, I thought. And still do.
Redding Fire Chief Gerry Gray had picked Station No. 5. It's the city's busiest, covering an area with about 30,000 people (that's more than Eureka).
The day started out slow. Engineer Martin showed me the pumps and hoses on the new fire engine. I watched firefighter Tenorio as he checked out industrial-strength chain saws and other equipment, including the powerful Jaws of Life, used to extricate people from vehicles. Blair explained the daily routine and division of labor at the firehouse. They all seemed to love their work, especially Martin.
Medical calls
About three-quarters of the calls received are medical in nature, I learned.
And so it was on that day. A man with a history of health issues and drug use complaining of severe stomach pain. An elderly woman at a nearby care facility with trouble breathing. A disoriented barefoot young woman wearing what looked to be PJs in front of a house a few blocks north of the station. After the engine responded, all were taken by ambulance to the hospital and checked out.
In the afternoon a call came in about a reported accident at Interstate 5 and Highway 44. I thought of the Jaws of Life and hoped I wouldn't see them in action. We drove around for about 20 minutes in the rain but couldn't find anything. The report had been an error, apparently.
Wouldn't say it was a boyhood dream come true but it was pretty cool being up high in a 50,000-pound machine barreling down the street with siren blaring.
The guys asked if I'd like to stay for dinner — chili verde made in the kitchen at the station. I agreed.
We talked about a lot of things. The risks posed by fires at Redding's growing number of homeless encampments (clearly not an issue on that soggy day).
The explosions and hideous burns caused by butane honey oil operations, used to extract THC from marijuana plants.
Some tips
I asked the guys what tips I could pass along to make my readers safer and their jobs a bit easier.
Here's a partial list. Wish they taught this stuff in school. Never try to fight a grease fire with water or flour. Call 911 ASAP.
If a fire starts in your home don't open doors and windows; that just gives the fire the oxygen it needs.
Sleep with your bedroom doors closed to keep smoke out. Plan and practice getting out of your home in an emergency. (If you're staying at a hotel always note the emergency exits in relation to your room.)
Check your smoke detectors and regularly replace batteries.
When it comes to medical emergencies, take a good look at your house. To make it easier for firefighters and paramedics to get you or your loved ones out, remove obstacles — furniture and clutter — that would block access to a bedroom, bathroom or kitchen for emergency personnel with a gurney and other equipment. "Some older folks especially can have a lot of clutter in their home," I was told. Keep a list of all your medications and your medical conditions. The firefighters told me lots of people take medicines but don't know why or the underlying issues they're supposed to treat.
Do research
Finally, when you're out and about do a little research before calling 911. Blair said it's not uncommon for several firetrucks, in response to a call about smoke in the neighborhood, to show up at a residence only to find someone firing up a backyard barbecue. The same goes for calling in an accident or other possible emergency when you're traveling past at freeway speed; you may not really have a bead on the situation. I thought of that phantom car accident we investigated.
Dinner over, I was getting ready to bid adieu to my new friends when a call came in. The words "man reported shot in the chest" jumped out. Within a minute or so we were rolling south on Churn Creek Road.
It was a call I won't forget probably as long as I live. (A terribly bloody scene. The man died. The prime suspect is now in the Shasta County Jail.) There's a reason I didn't gravitate to the crime beat or become a war correspondent, a cop or a firefighter. But I'm sure grateful to those who did. Especially the first responders. Like the guys at Fire StationNo. 5.
Marc Beauchamp lives in Redding. Reach him at NotBusinessAsUsual@gmail.com.
